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“It’s okay,” Bonnie said softly as she patted one small hand against my cheek. “It’s okay.”
“I’m sorry.” I apologized right up until we reached the kiosk. As we stood waiting for the parcels, I couldn’t stop that tickling feeling crawling over my spine. Everywhere I looked I caught glimpses of Felix, but he would vanish at a second glance.
He was miles away and yet it was as if he was right here, breathing down my neck. By the time I had the groceries, my heart was pounding so hard that I was certain I would be sick if I wasn’t careful. With the parcels in one arm and Bonnie in the other, I hurried back through the resort to the cable cars.
Once I was back at the chalet, everything would be fine.
I was miles away, halfway up a snowy mountain.
I was safe.
Wasn’t I?
15
LUKE
“Hey, Ma!” I called through to the lounge. “Did Ava get her juice box?”
“Yes, dear,” my mother called back. “Honestly, Luke, you’d lose your head if it wasn’t attached. A sharp squeal of laughter rose up from my daughter, and my mother added, “Honestly, Ava. What would he do without me?”
I’d be lost without her for sure. Most people distanced themselves from their parents when their child was born, wanting to do their own thing. Life had taken a different turn for me; I’d been savagely hit by a car the night Flora gave birth to Ava and I missed it. The accident shattered my bones in four different places in my right leg, leaving me bedridden formonthsand countless hours of therapy after.Instead of having the loving support of my fiancée, Flora had revealed during an argument that she was only with me for a green card and I’d taken too long to marry her.
Flora had returned to France. I was bedridden with a child and completely at my wit's end. My mother had stepped in without complaint, nursing me back to full health—aside from the scar on my thigh and a leg that ached in the cold—and caring for Ava; I owed her more than I could ever express.
As my thoughts wandered, she appeared in the kitchen doorway, and I pointed my wooden spoon at her.
“Ma, sit. You’ve done enough. Let me finish this.”
My mother raised her hands and chuckled. “Sure, but Summer is back.” Stepping out of the way, she melted back into the lounge, and Summer took her place, arms filled with paper bags.
“Summer!” Her cheeks were pink from the cold and her hair stood up slightly from the static of her hat. She flashed me a tight smile and crossed the kitchen to the other counter, where she started unloading the bags.
“Nice trip?” I asked, unsure how to approach her. She had spent time with TheoandJax, but there was no way I was going to assume she had any kind of interest in me. Simply being in her presence and seeing how Ava enjoyed her company was enough for me.
“It was okay,” Summer said distractedly. I returned to the stove and resumed stirring the vegetables that were lightly frying in the pan.
“I love the resort,” I said, trying to strike up a conversation. “It’s like a spark of normality if the mountain ever gets a touch too lonely, y’know?”
“Yeah…” Summer packed away most of the dry goods in one cupboard, and I glanced over my shoulder, watching as she remained present as she worked and yet miles away at the same time. I finished my work, tipped the vegetables into the simmering tomato sauce, and turned down the heat.
“Summer?” I approached her but she didn’t face me. “Are you alright?” Whether through nerves or pure bubbliness, I’d never known her to be this quiet before, then again, I didn’t know her all that well.
“I’m okay,” Summer snapped slightly, and she shoved a few cans into another cupboard. As she went to close the door, one can wobbled and toppled back out, but I caught it before it crashed into the counter.
“Are you?”
“I’m… I’m sorry,” Summer sighed, and she took the can, placing it gently on the shelf. “I’m just… antsy, I guess. I…” She turned to me, and her wide blue eyes held a thousand secrets. “Just homesick. Being at the resort just… reminded me of home.” She couldn’t quite meet my eyes after that, and I murmured softly in my throat.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked softly. From my understanding, she hadn’t traveled much before coming here.
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Well, if there is anything, no matter how small, we’re here for you. You’re doing so much for us already, and I—” My words died as Summer suddenly threw herself into my arms. Her warm, soft lips crashed against mine, and the heated line of her body filled my arms. Instinct took over, and one arm wrapped around her body to keep her steady while I stood there in shock.
Then reality hit—anyone could walk into the kitchen at any time, including Ava, and I was not ready to have that conversation. My hesitation must have sent a message as Summer wrenched herself back and her trembling fingers brushed over her lower lip as her cheeks flared crimson.
“I’m sorry,” she gasped quietly, “I think I… I just needed a distraction, and I…”
